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  • A rare use of `worthy', unworthy of foresaking

    From Anton Shepelev@2:221/6 to All on Sun Nov 20 14:01:38 2022
    Hello, all
    In "The Mysteries of Udolpho" I have met with the
    application of `unworthy' directly to a noun, that is
    without the usual mediation of `of':

    Besides, sir, your refusal wounds my pride; I must
    believe you think my offer unworthy your acceptance.

    What do you think of this rare usage, and what dictionary
    openly recognises it (I have found none)? This direct
    government sounds to me better than the one via a
    preposition!

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)
  • From alexander koryagin@2:5075/128.130 to Anton Shepelev on Mon Nov 21 09:01:15 2022
    Hi, Anton Shepelev!
    I read your message from 20.11.2022 15:01

    AS> In "The Mysteries of Udolpho" I have met with the
    AS> application of `unworthy' directly to a noun, that is
    AS> without the usual mediation of `of':
    AS> Besides, sir, your refusal wounds my pride; I must
    AS> believe you think my offer unworthy your acceptance.
    AS> What do you think of this rare usage, and what dictionary
    AS> openly recognises it (I have found none)? This direct
    AS> ??government sounds to me better than the one via a
    AS> preposition!

    IMHO it is informal speech, and they omitted THAT and IS:

    Besides, sir, your refusal wounds my pride; I must
    believe you think THAT my offer IS unworthy your acceptance.

    Bye, Anton!
    Alexander Koryagin
    fido.english_tutor 2022
    --- Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.7.0
    * Origin: Usenet Network (2:5075/128.130)
  • From Anton Shepelev@2:221/6 to alexander koryagin on Mon Nov 21 14:29:06 2022
    alexander koryagin:

    IMHO it is informal speech, and they omitted THAT and
    IS:

    Besides, sir, your refusal wounds my pride; I must
    believe you think THAT my offer IS unworthy your
    acceptance.

    Oh, no: it is as formal as can be, for it is 18th-century
    gothic. The pricipal characters talk like a book[1].
    `think' works the same way as `consider', `deem', and
    `find':
    I consider exceptions harmful.
    I deem him prim.
    I find you kind.
    I think her unkind.
    ____________________
    1. See also Chandler's "Pearls are a nuisance", which made
    laugh so hard I strained my belly muscles.

    ---
    * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

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